Official relations between South Africa and the Republic
of Chad were established only on 21 October 1994. The South African Ambassador
in Gabon presented his credentials as non-resident Ambassor to Chad, to President
Idriss Deby on 20 August 1999.

Immunisation against hepatitis A and hepatitis
B is strongly recommended before departure from South Africa, especially for
visits of extended periods. Furthermore, Chad is considered malaria-endemic
and special precautions should also be taken for cholera, typhoid,
poliomyelitis measles, Hepatitis E and meningitis.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is compulsory for all visitors.

Polio
booster is recommended but not for the immunodeficient. Meningitis vaccine is
also recommended. HIV risk is HIGH.

Chad's
climate is determined by two large masses of air, one being the dry, hot continental
air mass -the Harmattan- bringing winds from the eastern and north-eastern Sahara.
The other mass -the Mousson- is unstable, equatorial, humid and relatively cooler,
bringing winds from the south-east.

This, and the Chadian geography, have
created three climatic zones in Chad:

The subtropical zone : in the equatorial rain belt to the south, with a dry season
between November and May and a rainy season from May to October;

The Sahelian zone : in the
central region, which has a longer dry season and a brief rainy season between
June and September; and

The desert
or Saharan zone: in the northern region, with a hot and arid desert climate and
practically no rainfall.

The monetary
unit is the CFA Franc, which is a regional currency under the control of the Bank
of Central African States (Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale, or BEAC). The
rate of exchange was on a fixed rate with French Franc but is now on a fixed exchange
rate with the Euro, namely 1 Euro = 656 CFA (655 957 ) no ( + - )